Côte d’Ivoire has launched a new bauxite exploration initiative in partnership with China, creating a joint venture aimed at strengthening the country’s mining sector and boosting long-term production prospects.
The government announced on February 4 the creation of the Ivoiro-Chinese Exploration Company (ICEX), a partnership between the state-owned Société pour le Développement Minier de la Côte d’Ivoire (SODEMI) and China National Geological & Mining Corporation (CGM). SODEMI holds 56.65 percent of the company, with CGM taking the remaining 43.35 percent.
The venture, incorporated under Ivorian law with an initial capital of CFA20 million ($36,000), marks the first bauxite exploration project for ICEX. The project comes as China continues to expand its presence in West Africa’s mineral sector, following its extensive operations in Guinea, the world’s leading bauxite producer.
The Ivorian government said ICEX will focus exclusively on mineral exploration, with bauxite identified as the primary target. Chinese authorities have indicated the project could tap resources estimated at tens of millions of tons, although the company stressed that further geological surveys are needed to confirm economically viable deposits.
CGM described the initiative as part of a long-term strategy for West African bauxite development, drawing on its experience in Guinea. In 2025, China imported more than 74 percent of Guinea’s bauxite, supplying refineries and reinforcing its global dominance in aluminum production. ICEX aims to replicate this integrated exploration-to-development model in Côte d’Ivoire.
The new venture also includes a framework cooperation agreement, granting CGM priority rights in subsequent stages of the project. These phases could include feasibility studies, mine construction, production, and bauxite marketing, positioning the company to create an end-to-end bauxite value chain from exploration to export.
Côte d’Ivoire’s bauxite sector is currently modest. In 2023, national production reached 54,963 tons, mainly supplied by Lagune Exploitation Bongouanou, which exports to China. Analysts say the sector’s growth potential is significant, particularly if ICEX confirms commercially viable deposits and attracts additional investment for mine development and infrastructure.
The government highlighted the project’s strategic importance for the country’s broader mineral development pipeline, noting that expanding bauxite production could attract foreign investment, generate employment, and support downstream industries such as aluminum processing.
The partnership underscores China’s growing influence in West Africa, where state-backed firms have increasingly targeted strategic minerals used in global industrial and energy supply chains. ICEX represents one of the first major Chinese-backed bauxite initiatives in Côte d’Ivoire, complementing existing investments across the region.
Authorities stressed that exploration is only the initial step, with ICEX expected to adhere to national regulations and environmental standards. Officials also indicated that success will depend on resource confirmation, technical feasibility, and market conditions before the project can transition to large-scale mining operations.
For CGM, the Ivorian project is intended as a replicable model, leveraging Chinese expertise in geological surveys, mine construction, and mineral marketing, while offering Côte d’Ivoire a pathway to strengthen its mining sector and diversify export revenues beyond traditional commodities such as cocoa and gold.
The venture signals a new phase in Côte d’Ivoire’s efforts to attract strategic foreign investment in the mining sector, expand its industrial base, and develop a pipeline of mineral projects capable of meeting both domestic and international demand.
